Resolve director Jim Reed said “that privatisation is unpopular is no secret”.
“That’s why Mike Baird’s sale of the poles and wires had to be handled so carefully to get across the line. It must be worth it,” Reed said.
“However,in a sign of just how offensive voters find the prospect of further sales now,they would rather that spending is cut,taxes raised or additional debt taken on than go down that path.”
The Resolve survey also asked voters to rank their policy priorities,with the cost of living the biggest concern for 50 per cent of voters. Health services,including cost and access,were next,followed by the state of the economy and climate change and reducing emissions,both on 10 per cent.
Based on a range of policy issues,voters were asked which “state party and leader you think would perform best in each area”. The Coalition was well ahead on the economy (40 per cent to Labor’s 26 per cent),however Labor had a significant lead on tackling climate change and was in front for managing the rising cost-of-living pressures as well as health and education.
However,in one of the closest results,only 2 percentage points separated the Coalition and Labor in terms of who was best placed to deliver infrastructure (34 per cent for the Coalition,32 per cent for Labor).
Reed said of the four most important issues identified by voters,Labor was seen as better placed to handle three of them.
“The only exception is the economy and finances,but that’s playing second fiddle to more immediate cost-of-living concerns right now,” Reed said.
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Problem gambling,which Perrottet has vowed to combat through a mandatory cashless gaming card for poker machines,was only identified as a key issues by 2 per cent of voters.
“Once again,we find that problem gambling is a low order issue for voters,” Reed said. “Most people agree that it is a problem and with the government’s policy to address it,but it simply isn’t driving votes in the same way as living costs and public services because it only truly touches a minority.”
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